On this day, 13 November 1780, the Sikh world and indeed Indian history welcomed the birth of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Gujranwala (in present-day Pakistan).

Born into the Sukerchakia Misl of the Sikh confederacy, Ranjit Singh (originally Buddh Singh) stepped onto the battlefield of leadership at an early age. Despite losing sight in one eye from small-pox, he showed remarkable martial instincts and political acumen.

In 1801, he proclaimed himself Maharaja of the Punjab, unifying a region long fragmented into Sikh misls, Afghan tributes, and local hill-chiefdoms.  Under his leadership, the Sikh Empire extended from the Khyber Pass in the west, to Kashmir in the north, and from the Sutlej in the east to the Thar Desert in the south.

Ranjit Singh was notable not just for military might, but for his secular governance and modernisation efforts: he recruited Hindus, Muslims and Europeans into his army and civil service; introduced contemporary artillery and organised state structures; and patronised the Golden Temple in Amritsar, signalling both political and religious symbolism. 

His rule offered stability in a region beset by constant conflict. He abolished the death penalty for many crimes and sought to restrain tyranny - remarkable for his time. Although his empire did not long survive him - after his death in 1839 it would be annexed by the British in 1849 - his legacy endures in Punjabi identity, Sikh history and the memory of a rare indigenous ruler who defied colonial rule until his era.

Why this matters today
The story of Ranjit Singh resonates in multiple ways:

• It’s a counter-narrative to colonial domination: an Indian ruler who modernised his state on his own terms.

• It demonstrates pluralism: in an era of communal fracture, his court included multiple faiths and ethnicities.

• It connects to identity and region: Punjab’s modern political and cultural contours carry his imprint.

• It links to resilience and innovation: he turned adverse circumstances (blind eye, smallpox, early death of father) into a powerful legacy.